Acceptance of the ethical dimension of climate change has risen to a new level of importance in discussions at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, say members of the Baha'i delegation.

Baha'is from five continents, including two from the United States, are making presentations at the Parliament of the World's Religions – an event now held every five years in the modern continuation of an initiative begun more than a century ago.

In 1893, in the city of Chicago,  a "World's Parliament of Religions" was held as an auxiliary event in conjunction with the World's Columbian Exhibition (World's Fair). This event marked the first official gathering of representatives from eastern and western religions and is considered the birthplace of formal interreligious dialogue.
 

The first conferences in the United States in the current series of 41 Baha’i gatherings being held around the world attracted nearly 8,500 people the weekend of Dec. 6-7, in Atlanta, suburban Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Read the full story from the Baha'i World News Service.

Members of National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world have elected nine members to the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i Faith, at the Baha'i World Center in Haifa.

*Post-conference update

What is the relationship between ethical and spiritual principles and the practical actions of individuals and communities facing global environmental change?

The International Environment Forum, a Baha'i-inspired organization, tackles this issue at its 11th annual conference, co-organized by the Bahá'í Community of Canada, Oct. 12-14 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.